The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Friday, September 30, 2016

This encore from 2012 features another adventure of the original Tom and Jerry (not the cat and mouse). These guys do not say much, and the gags can fall into the strange, sometimes violent category typical of many 1932 cartoons. There is a nice "faux horns" rendition of "Ida," as well as a gag in which the villain robs his victims using a magnet which shows up again in a color Bugs Bunny cartoon. From the Internet Archive, here is In The Bag.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Jaredan and Meghan, with music by DJ Meghan.

Everyone wonders why Lennie--a big, burly man--wears a locket and values it so highly. Oddly, the answer might involve outlaws who are apparently black-mailing the owner of the ranch at which Lennie works.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Friday, September 16, 2016

This encore from 2012 features a Mortimer Snerd-ish buzzard and an Irish lion. It seems that lions rarely lived longer than 10 years in those days, and the lion was celebrating his 10th birthday, so the buzzard was looking for a meal. From the Internet Archive, here is the 1948 Warner Bros. animated short, The Lion's Busy.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

In this comic, posted on Four Color Shadows, our hero "Red Blazer" seeks out a counterfeiting gang. Red can apparently fly, has super strength, and can control the forces of fire and heat; but fire extinguishers are his weakness (seriously!). The villain in this story, Dr. Skull, the "deformed" leader of the gang, really takes the cake.

This photo, posted on Rivet Head, appears to show U.S. Navy sailors refueling a "flying boat" aircraft during World War II. I found this image interesting because of the aircraft, the relatively unknown Martin PBM Mariner. The Consolidated PB-Y "Catalina" is often the first aircraft that springs to mind when talking about amphibious or marine aircraft of that era, probably since it served in greater numbers. This Mariner appears to be equipped with a radar dome.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Ceasar and Joy, with music by DJ Joy.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Dull Tool Dim Bulb posted this photo of a patriotic, hand-drawn radiator cover from World War II. During cold weather, a radiator cover helped some of the more cold-natured vehicles of the era get to normal operating temperature faster. As DTDB pointed out, the slogan "Do you drive 35?" referred to the recommended speed for motorists during the war to conserve rubber. Fuel was not a problem in the U.S., but rubber was a concern, so the government rationed fuel to keep drivers from using up their tires.

James Jones, the author of the award winning novel From Here To Eternity, which served as the basis for the Academy Award winning film of the same name, wrote the work in the late 1940's while living the old Leahy's Tourist Court on Summer Avenue in Memphis. Ask Vance posted this article relating the story.

Growing up as I did in the Berclair neighborhood of Memphis, Summer Avenue was the nearest main street, and Leahy's always struck me as a bit of a time capsule, even into the 1980's. Leahy's was an old fashioned tourist court, that included cabins and parking spaces for trailers/mobile homes. By the 1980's, essentially all of Summer Avenue was commercial/industrial, with Leahy's - a quiet, residential community unto itself - quietly sitting in the middle.

Leahy's continued until 2014, when the owner of the property could no longer afford the utilities and upkeep of the old property. There was a fear that the residents would have their utilities disconnected. That fate was avoided, but some residents moved out while things were uncertain. An investor bought the property, began making repairs, and it remains as a trailer park in the middle of Memphis, although some of the quaint charm of Leahy's has been lost.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night with live music from Le Tumulte Noir. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Admission $7. Lesson by Phil and Josey with music by DJ Josey during band breaks.

Friday, September 2, 2016

This encore from 2012 is a 1949 Paramount short featuring a good natured, but oversized, duckling that is ostracized from the rest of the duck community until he saves them from the fox. From the Internet Archive, here is Baby Huey in Quack-A-Doodle-Doo.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Here is another World War II ad, posted on Vintage Ads, for a service that was not widely available at the time, but would in the future. All forms of travel were heavily focused on the war effort, so individual travel, especially for pleasure, was publicly discouraged. Remember this line from the old Warner Bros. cartoons: "Is this trip really necessary?" The purpose of that slogan was to encourage people to only travel when absolutely necessary, so travel related to the war effort could take priority.